FC to change approach to Baikal Economic Forum-official

According to him, today BEF that is held already for the seventh time under the auspices of the Federation Council is “a kind of a desire parade

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IRKUTSK, September 12 (Itar-Tass) — The Federation Council (FC) upper house of Russia’s parliament will change its approach to the organisation of the Baikal Economic Forum (BEF) for a more practical in order to improve its efficiency, FC first vice speaker Alexander Torshin told journalists on Monday on the sidelines of the conference in Irkutsk.

According to him, today BEF that is held already for the seventh time under the auspices of the Federation Council is “a kind of a desire parade.” Numerous foreign delegations, representatives of business circles and the authorities come to Irkutsk and “ideas and intentions are expressed here, but after the forum all this is implemented slowly,” explained the FC official. “And our house the situation is such that we remember about the BEF only closer to autumn when it is necessary again to prepare the next conference,” he complained. “And every time a new committee, consisting of new people is formed.” “It turns out that we spend money, warmly receive visitors at Lake Baikal, have a good rest, but the forum’s results are insufficient,” Torshin said.

In this context he considers it necessary to “move to new forms of work that will provide more specific cooperation.” “We in the Federation Council for which the Far East and Baikal are the subject of special attention will think about creating a permanent commission that will monitor how the BEF decisions are put into practice,” the FC first vice speaker promised. “We will change the approach to a more practical one, and the next forum will be quite different,” he said.

Answering a question what else prevents putting into practice of the initiatives expressed at the BEF Torshin pointed to “an acute shortage of the refined modern business plans.” “From 100 applications received by banks and financial institutions, only two-three meet these requirements, the rest are some kind of wishes-desires,” he stated. “As a result, no money is given for the implementation of these business ideas, and everything boils down to enormous paperwork between their authors and banks.”